During normal operation, wagering game machines generate and process data necessary for determining wagering game results, payouts, system integrity, etc. Because wagering game machines need certain data to function properly, wagering game regulators typically have strict rules about how wagering game machines store critical wager gaming data (hereinafter referred to as “critical data”). Some regulators require that wagering game machines store their critical data in non-volatile semiconductor memory devices because these devices are typically less prone to data loss associated with power loss. As a result, wagering game manufacturers have developed wagering game machines that utilize non-volatile memory devices (e.g., non-volatile random access memory, “NVRAM”) on the wagering game machines. However, non-volatile memory devices are costly, limited in size, and tend to reduce the life expectancy of batteries as size increases. As wagering game machines have become capable of presenting multiple wagering game themes and/or denominations, the number of wagering game possibilities for a single machine has increased, and continues to increase. Thus wagering game manufacturers are facing challenges of using more costly non-volatile memory to store critical data for all those game possibilities.